2
What is fire?
Fire is a chemical reaction
between three elements:
oxygen, heat and fuel. If
any of the three elements
disappear, the fire will
disappear too. If conditions are right, a fire
can start almost anywhere at any time.
Most fire hazards occur when the
weather is dry and hot.
The heat source for
starting a fire in nature
can be natural, for
example a lightning
strike, or human-made,
like careless use of fire
or even cigarettes.
Fuels include anything
from dry grass and
leaves to branches,
wood or - houses!
Different types of fuel burn at different temperatures, because
each substance has a so-called “ignition temperature”. This is
when the substance becomes hot enough to burst into flames. For
example, because of its low ignition temperature, the oil in the
leaves of eucalyptus trees is one of the most explosive fuels that
3
What are wildfires?
Fires can get out
of control and
spread over large
areas very easily.
For instance, an
unattended small
campfire may easily
get out of control
and cause a very
large, uncontrolled fire. These escaped fires are often
referred to as “wildfires”. Depending on what type of
vegetation or material is burning they can be
referred to as “forest
fires”, “bush
fires”, “grass
fires” or
“peat fires”.
4
What causes wildfires?
The most common natural cause
of wildfires is lightning.
However, most wildfires are
caused directly or indirectly by
people, for example fires can
escape when farmers burn the
land to make it more fertile
(these are referred to as
uncontrolled or escaped land-
use fires) or by children
playing with matches. Fires
can also start
when people
are
careless in using cigarettes,
when cooking in the woods
or in using campfires.
Sometimes, people even
start fires intentionally
5
Are wildfires good or bad?
Fire can be a useful tool for human beings as long as it is under
control, but if it gets out of control it can become dangerous
both for people and nature. Here are some examples of both
positive and negative effects of fire for people and in nature.
People:
! Positive effects: useful tool in agriculture, pastoralism and
forestry
! Negative effects: harmful for human health and safety,
destroys property (houses, stores, public buildings, schools,
important equipment, etc.)
Nature:
! Positive effects: Fire can be useful in
maintaining the ecosystems, it can
stimulate the growth of grass, help
some plants to reproduce as some
seeds can germinate only after a
fire.
! Negative effects: large and
destructive fires can destroy and
reduce the number of different
types of plants and animals in an
area, and can thereby permanently spoil
the richness of the landscape
6
What can be done to prevent
wildfires from happening?
As most wildfires are caused by people, many of them can also be
prevented. Here are some ideas on how you can prevent fires in your
own neighbourhood:
! Never play with matches. One
stick can burn the whole forest!
! If you see someone playing with
fire or throwing a cigarette butt
in the woods, tell an adult about it
immediately.
! Never make a campfire without
the help of your parents or other
adults.
! If the weather is windy and dry, do not make a
campfire.
! If the conditions are good and you decide to make
a campfire, select an open place, far from trees,
dry leaves and branches. Clean the earth of
rubbish for 3 metres around the place where you
plan to build a campfire.
! Never leave a fire alone!
! Before leaving the area, put out the fire
carefully with water and earth.
! Keep the forest environment clean. Do not
leave bottles or glass litter in the forest. They
might act as a magnifying glass and start a fire.
7
What can you do to
protect yourself and your
friends from fires?
If a dangerous fire comes close to you:
If thick smoke makes breathing difficult
If your clothes catch on fire:
If a friend of yours or one of
your family members is on fire:
! Don't panic
! Move away from the fire
! Ask adults for a safe house to protect you from the flames
! Cover your mouth with a dry handkerchief
! Ask adults for a safe house to protect
you from the smoke
! Don't panic
! Move away from the fire
! Drop to the ground and
cover your face
! Roll over and over until the
fire is out
! Wrap them in a blanket
! Roll them over on the ground until the fire
is out
8
What can be done to protect
Your house from wildfires:
Make a firebreak around your house. A firebreak is a
barrier of cleared or ploughed land intended to stop and
control the spread of forest, grass or bush fire. A river or
a road can also act as a firebreak.
Remove all rubbish and flammable material around your
house, such as dry grass, leaves and branches.
Store flammable substances far away from your house.
In case of an approaching fire, use sprinklers to
keep the ground, the vegetation around the
house and the roof of the house damp.
Keep fire-fighting equipment such as
water hose and fire extinguisher,
easily accessible.
!
!
!
!
!
9
Test your knowledge on fires!
Questions:
1. What are the three elements needed for a
fire?
2. What does “ignition temperature” mean?
3. What are the main causes of
forest fires?
4. What is a firebreak?
5. List five important fire
prevention measures you and
your parents can do to make
your house safer from forest
fires or other wildfires?
6. If your clothes catch on fire,
what should you do?
10
Answers:
1. Oxygen, fuel and heat.
2. “Ignition temperature” is the temperature at which the
preheated substance will burst into flames.
3. Most fires are caused directly or indirectly by people's
carelessness for example, unattended campfire, cigarettes or
children playing with matches. Some fires are caused by
lightning strikes.
4. A firebreak is a barrier of cleared or ploughed land intended
to stop and control the spread of forest or grass fire. A
river or a road can also act as a firebreak.
5. (a) Make a firebreak around your house (b) Remove all the
rubbish around your house (c) Store flammable substances
far away from your house (d) Keep fire-fighting equipment
easily accessible (e) In case of an approaching fire, use
sprinklers to keep the ground, the vegetation around the
house and the roof of the house damp.
6. Do not panic. Move away from the fire. Drop to the ground
and cover your face. Roll over and over until the fire is out.
11
Glossary:
Ecosystem: plants, animals and natural conditions, and the
relationships between them in a specific area
Firebreak: a barrier of cleared or ploughed land intended to check
a forest or grass fire. A river or a road can also act as
a firebreak.
Forestry: the science of growing and caring for forests
Germinate: to begin to develop (seeds)
Pastoral: work dealing with people who keep herd animals or
Rural life
Prevent: to keep from happening or existing
Sources:Dolan, Chris, Hazard-wise, Classroom Resources for Teachers on Natural
Hazards and Disasters, An Australian Disaster Awareness Project for
the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, EMA, 1995.
Gout, Jean-Paul, Prevention et Gestion des Risques Majeurs, Les risques
d'origine naturelle, Paris, 1993
Hazards Happen, Elements of Australian Natural Hazards, (CD-Rom),
Commonwealth of Australia and Queensland University of Technology,
1999.
Que hacer en caso de incendio? CENAPRED, Mexico, D.F., 1992
What every primary school child in the British Virgin Island should know
about disasters, The Children's Handbook, British Virgin Islands,
1995.
This document was prepared by the Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(ISDR), with the assistance of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Freiburg, Germany
(http://www.uni-freiburg.de/fireglobe). Reproduction of this document in part or in whole for non-
commercial educational purposes is encouraged.
Fuente: Campaña de Prevención de Incendios Forestales Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía, Costa Rica.
COMISION NACIONAL PARA LA PREVENCION Y EL COMBATE DE LOS INCENDIOS FORESTALES
INS - MINAE - MAG - MEP
Avoid wildfires!
I S D RInternational Strategy
for Disaster Reduction
United Nations Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)Palais des NationsCH 1211 Geneva 10, SwitzerlandTel: +41 22 9172103 / 762 / 759 Fax: +41 22 [email protected]
UN/ISDR Latin America and the CaribbeanP.O. Box 3745-1000San José, Costa RicaTel: +506 224 1186Fax: +506 224 [email protected]
UN/ISDR AfricaBlock U Room 217UNEP, Gigiri, Nairobi, KenyaTel: + 254 2 62 41 01Fax: + 254 2 62 47 [email protected] www.unisdrafrica.org